Rajkot: In an unusual turn of events, as many as 65 people from daltis were detained on Friday when they tried to exhume body of the deceased Jignesh Sondarva (29), who died in Amreli sub-jail last month, in Dungar village of Rajula taluka in Amreli. The dalits were demanding arrest of cops and jail officials for custodial death of Sondarva. Four inmates of the Amreli-sub jail were arrested for Sondarva's death last week.Over 200 members from dalits community led by one Navchetan Parmar converged at the place in Dungar village where Sondarva was buried. They had planned to exhume the body. But police was already present at the location as Parmar had warned four days ago that if cops are not arraigned in the case, dalits from the village would exhume Sondarva's body and take it to the Amreli superintendent's office.When the police tried to prevent the group from entering the burial ground, two dalit members doused their bodies in kerosene and tried to immolate themselves. They too were prevented by the cops and detained.The dalits led by Parmar have been alleging that some cops who had arrested Sondarva had beaten him up after arrest. They also alleged that the deceased was thrashed even when inside the sub-jail by cops.After Sondarva's death, his family members and community leaders alleged that he died in police custody, but senior district police officials denied it. Sondarva's uncle Nitin Sondarva lodged an FIR on June 16 accusing jail inmates and staff of assaulting his nephew and causing death. However, after investigation, on July 4 police arrested Shivraj Varu, Jamsinh Solanki, Kanu Satya and Laxman Vavadiya for assault and murder of Sondarva.Sondarva, was arrested in Dungar village, some 16km from Rajula on June 12 in an inebriated state. He was produced before the Rajula judicial magistrate first class, who sent him to judicial custody as there was nobody to bail him out.Investigation into the FIR by Amreli local crime branch police inspector A P Patel had revealed that Sondarva was addicted to alcohol, had a tiff with few inmates in jail when he did not get his dose of alcohol. Agitated over Sondarva's behaviour, Shivraj, Kamsinh, Kanu and Laxman assaulted him and then banged his head on the prison wall on June 14 that proved a fatal blow. Sondarva was rushed to Amreli civil hospital where he succumbed to injuries late night on June 14.Forensic postmortem revealed that Sondarva died of haemorrhage.

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